


30 Day OTP Challenge - Kureshima Brothers

by notforme



Category: Kamen Rider Gaim
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-06
Updated: 2014-03-10
Packaged: 2018-01-14 17:03:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1274278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notforme/pseuds/notforme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>30 Day OTP Challenge for Takatora and Mitsuzane. Most likely won't upload everyday, just whenever I write something.<br/>May also contain occasional Ryouma/other characters or mentions of them, at least.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Holding hands

**Author's Note:**

> Set pre-series. The day Takatora first agrees to become Zangetsu.

It always got cold at this time of year. What had once been fresh snow just this morning, had now melted into pools of grit coated sludge, covering the surrounding area of the school grounds. Groups of elite students wrapped up in thick, winter coats and scarves all huddled together as they trudged away from the main building. The sky had remained grey since the early hours of the morning, the short, dawn snowfall leaving behind a white haze that seemed to engulf the whole of Zawame City, hiding away the, by now, setting sun.

Mitsuzane was one of the last of his classmates to leave as he dragged his body out of the building. He walked slowly, attempting to do up the buttons on his light brown coat, despite the bitter cold air instantly making his fingers go numb. Thrusting a hand into one of the coats pockets, he let out a sigh as he realised he left his gloves in one of the drawers in his room. The breath lingered in the air, visibly showing, as Mitsuzane’s lips tingled in reaction to the heat passing into the cold. He pulled at the soft fabric of the coat covering his upper body, attempting to pull it higher up to cover his neck that was left completely exposed. He knew he should have bought his scarf with him today. With another sigh, he continued to make his way across the courtyard alone, being careful to watch his step on patches of ice. 

Mitsuzane had been feeling rough all day, right from the moment he woke up. Out of all the things that he despised about his sheltered upbringing, his weak immune system was maybe one of the most frustrating and inconveniencing. As soon as the temperature drops and it begins to get dark earlier, he always catches a cold one way or another. Lifting the back of his hand up to his face, he tried to clear his throat with a weak hearted cough. The moment he took a deep breathe in, a rush of freezing cold air shot to the back of his throat, instantly making his inside of his mouth dry. He choked a little before using the same hand to wipe underneath his nose. 

He continued making his way towards the front gate, his whole body feeling as if it was getting heavier with every step, aching all over. He’d have to miss practice again. There's no way he’d be up to it and Mai did tell him not to over do it. Reaching into his blazer pocket, he managed to pull his phone out with ease, especially considering his fingers were feeling more and more numb by the second, and sent Mai a message, apologising for not be able to come to the base for the second day in a row. He slid the phone away again, lifting his head back up to see the way he was going as he continued walking through the large school gate.

“Mitsuzane” a familiar, deep, monotone voice called out to him.

Trailing the voice back, Mitsuzane turned to find his brother waiting for him, just beside the main gate. 

He was a tall man. Thin, yet somehow well defined. His body hidden beneath his signature black suit, shirt collar open, no tie. Formal yet relaxed. Similar to the collection of students passing through the gate beside him, he too wore his black coat in an attempt to shield from the cold. It hung loosely from his frame, finishing around his mid thighs. The wind had started to pick up once more, making his long, messy hair fly around freely in the breeze. Somehow helping to keep up the mystery as to whether it was styled to be deliberately messy or not, no one really knew. There was a powerful yet care free attitude to him as he stood, leaning back slightly, hands loosely stuffed into his trouser pockets.

“Nii-san… What are you doing here?” A confused expression took Mitsuzane’s face. Takatora never came to pick him up like this before. He didn’t know if he should be suspicious or worried.

Some of the other students leaving began to slow down, pointing at the taller man and whispering to each other in hushed tones. Takatora took no notice of them as he took several confident strides over to his younger brother, who stood frozen, both from the cold and the shock of his brother suddenly turning up outside his school. It wasn’t really a normal thing to happen here.

“You left this at home.” He extended a hand towards Mitsuzane, holding his favourite purple scarf.

“Ah… thanks.” He still didn’t know quite how to react, hesitating slightly before taking it. The other student’s whispers and pointing made him all the more uneasy.

“One of the maids told me you were feeling unwell when I returned from my meeting this morning. So I thought you’d need this...” He gestured to the scarf that was now held in Mitsuzane’s grasp, down by his side. “Here” he said gently as he reached down, taking a hold of the purple fabric again, wrapping it delicately round his brother’s neck a few times. “Better?”

“Mm…” Mitsuzane reached both hands up to grip at the material, adjusting it to cover his mouth, feeling the warmth it brought around his neck and the initial relief to his sore throat. He continued to fix his gaze to the ground shyly, not wanting to make eye contact with any of his peers passing by. He had always distanced himself from them, never engaging in conversation with them, but even so, they all knew who he was and must have heard rumours about his brother. While their faces generally remained left up to the imagination of the public, the family name would give them away instantly to the likes of the students attending the prestigious, private school. Many of them probably looked up to Takatora and were envious of Mitsuzane’s future position of power it was sure he would inherit. 

Sensing his younger brother feeling uncomfortable, Takatora placed a hand onto his shoulder and began to walk. “Let’s go.”

 --

As the two walked down the almost empty side roads back to their house, the surrounding streetlights had already started to flicker to life, lighting patches of pavement around them. 

Mitsuzane walked several steps behind his brother. He didn’t quite know why, but it was custom to them. Takatora used to always walk a few steps behind their father, with Mitsuzane following the two obediently in silence. It was second nature to the two by this age. 

As Takatora turned a corner, he looked over his shoulder at his brother who slowly walked behind him, watching the ground as he continued to keep his hands tucked up into the scarf around his neck. Takatora paused, waiting for him to catch up. 

It took Mitsuzane a few seconds to realise his brother had stopped. His gaze trailed up from the small mixture of snow and ice that pooled around his brother’s shoes to look at him curiously.

“What’s wrong, Nii-san?” he questioned, wondering why the older man was suddenly still.

“Are you still cold?” He looked towards his brother’s scarf that housed his trembling hands underneath.

“Yeah... I left my gloves at home” he nodded, pulling his hands out from the scarf, skin pale and starting to crack slightly around his knuckles.

“I’m sorry... I didn’t see them anywhere at home. I would have-” Takatora began to apologise.

“No,” Mitsuzane shook his head, smiling slightly, “it’s my fault. I left them in my drawers.”

Takatora reached for his brother’s hands that he had held up for him to see, stroking lightly over the delicate skin on the backs, gently massaging where the skin looked most damaged.

Mitsuzane simply stood, watching as his brother caressed his hands. His were much smaller in comparison to his older brother’s. Despite being just 10 years between them, Mitsuzane’s hands looked more like a small child’s, with fragile skin that was easily breakable during the slightest change of temperature. 

Now that Mitsuzane’s hands were no longer supporting his scarf, it fell down, loosely hanging around his neck, leaving his mouth now exposed. Takatora could see the uneven breaths that passed between Mitsuzane lips, travelling through the air before quickly evaporating again. The weather really wasn’t helping his cold.

“How’s that?” the elder brother asked softly, focusing his attention back to the pair of near frozen hands he was still holding.

“…I can’t feel anything,” Mitsuzane replied in almost a whisper, his voice beginning to die out, “my hands are completely numb” he laughed slightly.

“Come on, let’s go. It’s not good for you to stay out in this weather when you’re ill.”

Takatora kept a hold of one of Mitsuzane’s hands as he turned, continuing their trek through the piles of snow at a faster pace than before, wanting to get his brother home as quickly as possible.

At first Mitsuzane struggled to keep up as he adjusted his scarf tighter around his neck, to cover his mouth once again, with his remaining free hand. He quickened his pace to a little jog, catching up to walk beside his older brother, hands still joined with his brother’s. 

Seeing Mitsuzane finally walking next to him out of the corner of his eye, Takatora smiled to himself as he put both his hand back into his coat pockets, Mitsuzane’s hand still held tightly in one. 

By this time the snow had started once again, creating a white mist thick in the air, not allowing them to see too far into the distance, as the finest snow fell towards the still damp ground, dissolving instantly into it. 

Mitsuzane turned his head towards the sky briefly before moving closer to his brother, wrapping his free arm tightly around his brother’s, pressing his chest up against him for extra warmth.

Takatora couldn’t help but smile again as he felt his brother desperately gripping to his arm as if someone was going to drag him away into the fog. 

The smile soon faded as he remembered back to his previous conversation with Ryouma earlier that day. If you could even call it that, Takatora would probably consider it more Ryouma just telling him all the things he didn’t want to hear, trying to force him to agree to his latest ideas. He doesn’t quite remember when he got so close to the man that seemingly knows so much about him, he doesn’t even really remember ever telling him these things in the first place. Ryouma always tells Takatora that he knows him better than he does, but Takatora doesn’t see how that could be possible. Know one knows you as best you know yourself. But Takatora had to admit, it was sometimes unnerving how Ryouma could manipulate him so easily. How he could bring up his love for his brother to make him agree to whatever dangerous plans he would come up with. Although this time seemed more far more important than any of the others... Trying out what Ryouma called a ‘Sengoku Driver’ – how vain, yet not at all surprising – while being the project leader of the Research and Development branch of Yggdrasill was incredibly risky but Ryouma didn’t leave him with much choice. He was well aware he was being guilt tripped when the scientist brought up his brother’s future and talk of ‘protecting him’. The man knew there was no way Takatora could refuse if he went into detail about potential complications that could arise, putting not just the future of the city, but his brother’s life in danger…

Takatora didn’t want to think about that now. He just wanted to be close to his precious little brother, how he used to be before. Trying to push the thoughts out of his mind, he focused back to the hand that lay in his coat pocket, still entwined with his. He began to rub his thumb carefully across it, squeezing it lightly to remind him of the here and now, thinking the younger’s hand would still be too numb for him to feel anything.

Mitsuzane hid a smile into his brother arm as sensation began to return to his hand, feeling his brother’s thumb stroking in lines back and forth tenderly across his skin.

“How about when we get home I make you some nice, warm soup? That should make you feel a little better.” Takatora suggested softly, gazing down at his brother’s small frame that clung to his side, still trembling slightly. 

Mitsuzane didn’t look up, simply nodding his head as he buried his check against his brother’s arm, smiling towards the ground. He still didn’t know why Takatora was behaving this way and while he was curious, it was incredibly rare for them to share moments like these anymore, not since Takatora took over his current position in Yggdrasill. He rarely got a chance to see his brother, let alone when he was acting this lovingly. He only now realised how much he had truly missed this feeling. It wasn’t long before they would reach their destination so he decided to simply enjoy the present and ask questions later; savouring the feeling of safety and comfort his brother was currently providing.


	2. Cuddling somewhere & Gaming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two days combined. Does that count as cheating?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set pre-series. Takatora aged 14, Mitsuzane aged 4.

“..The End,” the young maid closed the story book, resting her hand gently across the back cover, as she turned her attention back to the small child lying in the bed. He sat up, wide awake, beaming at her with a grin. 

“Again! Again!” he called excitedly, grabbing at the soft material of his duvet, creasing up the sheets as he flapped his arms wildly. His black hair swayed, tickling his ears, as he shook his head enthusiastically.

“Mitsuzane, it’s time for sleep now. You know you’re brother and father will be home shortly and you need to have your nap before diner,” she spoke calmly. “We've played enough for one day, have we not?”

The boy pouted. “But I’m not tired!” he cried out in annoyance.

“Come now, we both know that’s not true,” she replied with a warm smile, using her thumb and index finger to push the side of her thin, framed glasses back up to the bridge of her nose. The frills of her white apron ruffled as she slowly got up from the wooden chair beside the child’s bed, taking a few steps towards the door before flicking off the light switch. “Sleep now, Mitsuzane,” she commanded with a new found firmness to her voice.

Before the young female even had a chance to close the bedroom door, the sound of the large front door opening and closing echoed throughout the mansion, followed instantly by the voice of an elderly maid. “Welcome home,” she spoke in a formal manor. There was a short pause, before the sound of bags and outer clothing being passed from one pair of hands to another.

“I’m home,” a second voice replied tiredly. 

Mitsuzane jumped up out of his bed, flying past the young maid stood in his doorway and he began to run down the hallway.

“Nii-san! Nii-san~!” he called out energetically. Running along the long hallway, heading towards the grand staircases positioned in front of the main entrance.

Takatora could hear him long before he could see him, turning his head towards where the staircase split to the right, waiting for his younger brother to appear. He couldn’t help but chuckle as he came hurtling around the corner, rushing down the steps a third of his size before jumping in Takatora’s arms at the bottom.

“Whoa! Watch out! You need to be more careful, Mitsuzane. You could have hurt yourself then,” he said in a concern voiced. The worry soon faded as he smiled to feel his brother wrap his arms tightly around his neck, his chest buried into his brother’s face, blocking out his vision completely. “Hey, I can’t see anything! You’re getting too big for this, you know,” he laughed.

The elder maid still stood by Takatora’s side, holding his heavy bag, filled with textbooks, and prestigious school blazer folded carefully over her arm. She bowed silently before turning away to leave the two alone. 

Mitsuzane pulled back slightly to face his brother, letting out a childish giggle at his reaction. He loosened his arms around his brother’s neck, re-positioning himself by wrapping his legs around his waist. 

Takatora could feel his brother’s worn out, heavy breathing tickling at the side of his neck as he rested his head onto his shoulder, one hand gripping at his now loosened collar. With one arm supporting his weight, Takatora lifted the other up the stroke through his brother’s fine hair, brushing some loose strands away from tickling his delicate eyelashes with a kind smile.

Mitsuzane’s maid came rushing after the young boy, quickly making her way down the staircases to where the two brother’s stood. She seemed extremely flustered as she tried her best to apologise to the teenage boy, bowing repeatedly, her face red with embarrassment. “I tried to get him to sleep, but he just wouldn’t listen,” she stumbled over her words, talking nearly too fast for Takatora to understand as her apology continued. “He ran out of his room before I could stop him,” followed by more bowing.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Takatora reassured her, younger brother still in his grasp. He didn’t mind at all, he’s not as nearly as strict as his father is. The maid was lucky it was him. His father would have handled the situation a lot differently; the young maid must have been warned about him.

“I’ll take him back up to his room now, don’t worry yourself,” he spoke calmly, assuring the maid there was no problem.

She let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you very much,” she bowed again, seeming more relaxed now to know she wouldn’t be punished for not being able to control the young boy. “I've not had a run in with your father yet,” she began. “I’ve heard he isn’t in the best of mood when he returns home after a long day.” She gasped, her hand shooting up to cover her mouth before she said anymore. “I’m terribly sorry!” she exclaimed, bowing deeply once more, her hands gripping tightly at the ends of her apron. “I should know not to bad mouth the master!”

“Well, I’m not my father,” Takatora said with a sincere smile. “Please, don’t worry.” He looked out of the corner of his eye towards his brother, who still rested the side of his head on his shoulder, curiously watching the maid as she continued her prolonged bow towards the pair. “What do you say we get you back up to your room, then?” Takatora spoke quietly into his brother’s hair. “Could you possibly bring us up some juice?” he turned back to the maid, who finally raised her head to meet his request.

“Y-Yes! Most certainly!” she stuttered, before quickly rushing off towards the kitchen.

\--

Takatora pushed open the bedroom door with his free hand, returning it to support his brother’s tiny weight in his arms. He placed the boy down gently on the wooden floor next to his bed. “Come on then, you. Back in you get,” he smiled down at the boy beside him, motioning towards the bed.

“But Nii-san~ I’m not tired!” he jumped up at his brother’s side. “Let’s play a game! Just for a while please~!” he sang, hoping persistence would be able to persuade his brother.

“No, no,” he laughed, trying to settle the boy down. “You know father will be home soon, it’s best you go sleep now,” he finished in a more serious tone.

“Please, Nii-san~ Pleeaaassee~!” Mitsuzane wouldn’t take no for an answer. He hadn't been able to play with anyone but his nurse for weeks now that Takatora was busy studying. Their father left no room for discussion when it came to his high school entrance exams. The time for play was over; the important stages of his life had finally begun. Yet Takatora still yearned for childish things.

“Okay, just one game them,” he finally gave in. “Only one and then it’s straight off to bed, agreed?” he asked, watching as his brother’s eyes widened with joy.

“Yes!” he rejoiced, running over to the TV that sat in the corner, on the floor, switching it on and connecting up his favourite console.

Takatora scanned the room for something more conformable for the two to sit on than the hard, wood flooring that featured throughout the mansion. He decided Mitsuzane’s bedding would do as he picked up the thick duvet, wrapping it round himself before sitting cross-legged on the floor behind his brother, patiently waiting as he continued to plug in the correct wires.

“There!” he called out, as the title screen flashed up on the television. He turned to run over to his brother, spinning round again before jumping backwards into his brother’s lap.

“Ow!” the older brother cried out jokingly, gaining a laugh from the younger. “Hang on... isn't this a single player game?” He leaned his head down to flash his brother a confused look.

Mitsuzane twisted half round in his brother’s lap. “I thought we could take it in turns. When Nii-san dies, it’s my turn… and when I die, it’s your turn!” He quickly faced back to the television, squirming excitedly as the intro music started to play.

Takatora couldn't resist his brother when he was like this. It was his one weakness. “Fine then,” he agreed. “You can go first,” he decided, wrapping the duvet further around them both, pulling Mitsuzane back, hugging him tightly against his chest.

 -NEW GAME- 

The first few levels are always the easiest. Even Mitsuzane can clear them with no problem, yet he still pressed the buttons so frantically, leaning forwards from his brother’s embrace, eyes glued wide open as the coloured pixels on the screen lit the whole room with different colours.

“What?! I jumped!” Mitsuzane exclaimed in annoyance. “I pressed the jump button and nothing happened!”

His brother laughed heartedly. “Well, my turn it is, then.”

Mitsuzane turned around with a huff, passing the controller to his brother as he leant his whole body back, half lying on his side so he could still see the screen and still feel the warmth from his brother. 

Takatora sailed through several more levels with ease. He started to felt bad that he was completing most of Mitsuzane’s game... but he knew that he liked having his brother unlock all the levels for him to later replay, so he can then skip any he gets stuck at.

Mitsuzane could feel his eyes getting heavy as he watched his brother’s hands that rested in his lap, casually pressing all the buttons on the controller at the right times with ease. The sound of the game had started to fade, leaving behind only Takatora’s heartbeat vibrating lightly in his ear. He let his arms lie loosely against his brother’s arm that remained wrapped lovingly around him. 

There was a small knock at the door before it opened a jar. “I've bought you two some juice.”

Takatora turned his head slightly round, as far as he could with his brother in his lap. “Ah, thank you. Could you bring them over?”

“Certainly,” the maid replied, leaving the tray on the small table in the centre of the room, before taking hold of both glasses. She handed them to Takatora, who placed his own tall glass on the floor beside him before taking hold of the plastic cup for Mitsuzane, holding it in front of him for him to take. 

The boy didn’t move. Lying motionless against Takatora’s chest, expect for his small frame which rose up and down slightly with each sleeping breath.

“Ah, he’s asleep,” Takatora whispered back to the maid. He rested the cup onto the floor next to him, leaning his head down to the side to watch as his little brother’s mouth hung open ever so slightly, his breathing heavy yet soft.

The maid rushed over. “Shall I put him into bed?” she asked in a near whisper, ready to take the boy from Takatora’s embrace.

“No, it’s fine,” he began to stand, scooping his brother up in his arms like a newborn baby. “I can manage, thank you.”

The maid picked the glasses up off the floor, placing them back onto the tray again before turning off the television, unplugging the console and setting it back into its original place. She picked up the duvet that fell off the pair, while Takatora continued to carry his brother across the room.

Mitsuzane was light in his arms. Completely helpless looking as he laid facing into his brother’s chest, his arms loosely resting against his stomach, legs dangling freely across Takatora’s arm.

He was extra careful when lowering the young boy onto his bed, even though he seemed to be in a deep enough sleep not to be stirred. Takatora raised a now free hand to tuck a side of his shoulder length hair behind one ear, feeling the cool air of the room against his neck now that the duvet was removed, the same duvet which the maid now handed back to him. 

She stood back, watching the older brother tuck the younger in tightly, kneeling on the floor beside his bed. 

A sudden light beamed in through the windows, followed by the unmistakable sound of car wheels driving across the gravel that coated the front courtyard. Father was home.

The maid instantly began to leave the room, bowing to the two at the door momentarily before rushing down the hallway.

Takatora remained focused on his brother. Brushing his hand lightly over Mitsuzane's hairline, he placed a single kiss on his forehead. He took a moment to appreciate his brother’s sleeping form, how he looked so peaceful and safe, wrapped up tightly underneath the covers. Takatora took a deep breath before standing once more, adjusting his collar and smoothing down his shirt, making sure it was tucked into his trousers in a presentable fashion. 

The front door opened. A chorus of maids began, “Welcome home,” followed by complete silence. Takatora stretched fully, making sure his posture was perfectly straight before leaving the room to greet his father. He paused as he got to his brother’s door, turning back to look into the darkness of the room. The light of the hallway allowed him to see his brother as he turned over, sighing quietly in his sleep. A smile found its way across Takatora's face. At least he’d always have his little brother to protect.


	3. On a date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I blame my lack of sleep for this turning out so long, I’m sorry. orz

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set post-series/sometime in the future? Mitsuzane has finished schooling and now works alongside Takatora at Yggdrasill.  
> Takatora is a big grump.

It was late evening by the time the two has begun making their way home. Another day of heavy snow the night before meant Takatora had to leave his car in the courtyard of their mansion and opt for the more old fashioned way of transporting to and from work. Normally he wouldn’t mind the short walk home with his younger brother, but not today. Today’s meeting had gone on far longer than expected. There’s only so much of Ryouma one person can take in a day and Takatora had more than enough by this point. He wanted nothing more than to be at home, having a nice warm shower and an early night’s sleep. But right now, there was still another 15 minutes of walking in the cold before any of that would be possible. Letting out an annoyed sigh, he attempted to pull his coat tighter around himself, folding his arms, hoping that would help keep some extra warmth in.

Mitsuzane, on the other hand, seemed to have a different idea. As the pair walked past a small, well lit café, he paused, looking at a poster in the window. His eyes caught by the bright pink and red colours, advertising a ‘Couples Night – Tonight only!’ His eyes began to widen excitedly as he found himself entranced by the pictures of the desserts on offer. There were several parfaits, featuring different combinations of fruit and ice cream flavours, a variety of different sized fondues, complete with chunks of brownies, marshmallows, fruit, and everything other type of sweet confectionery you could think of. The one that caught Mitsuzane’s eye the most however, was the limited edition dessert on offer - a still warm cookie dough dessert with two dollops of handmade, vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Plus, for an extra 500 yen, can be accompanied with additional chocolate chips, small brownie pieces and strawberries.

Takatora still continued to walk glumly down the road; taking a few seconds to realise that his brother had even stopped. Feeling himself become more irritable, he turned to watch as Mitsuzane continued to stare, drooling slightly at the images on the poster before peeking in through the large windows of the café.

“Why have you stopped?” Takatora demanded. He didn’t want to take that tone with his brother, but he really wasn’t in the mood for any more delays.

Mitsuzane didn’t reply. He simply moved closer to the window, watching the tables of delighted couples sitting inside, sharing the most mouth-watering desserts he had seen in a long time. The small café looked so warm and cosy inside. The lights were dimed slightly, making a faint yellow glow spread throughout the room, every table complete with individual candles placed on top white tablecloths with laced edges. The rest of the café also seemed to be especially decorated for the night, covered in red drapes and heart shaped décor dotted around.

Takatora grew more impatient. “Mitsuzane,” he tried again to get his attention, but to no avail. He grumbled bitterly to himself as he made his way back several steps to where his brother lingered, virtually pressing himself against the café window, as if he could feel the warmth coming from inside. “What’s so interesting?” he asked blandly, standing right behind the young man, there was no way he couldn’t of heard him this time.

“Look, Nii-san,” he finally replied, not moving his gaze away from the café’s interior.

Takatora sighed again, more of a groan this time if anything. Why must his brother be so easily distracted? Why now of all time? He took several steps closer, looking to the poster he assumed had caught his attention. 

“...It’s a Couple’s Night,” he repeated the words of the poster to his brother, watching as he turned to face him out the corner of his eye.

“Let’s go!” Mitsuzane shouted louder than he had probably intended to.

“But it’s a Couple’s Night,” Takatora repeated once more, as if Mitsuzane didn’t quite understand the first time. He began to look at the pictures on the poster. They did look delicious, he had to admit. But it’s not the time and obviously not the right circumstances. “We aren’t a couple, Mitsuzane,” he continued, realising he must have to spell it out this simply to try and make his younger brother understand.

“Well… We’re a couple of brothers, aren’t we? So it’s fine, right? They’ll realise that, I’m sure. It’ll be okay.” he replied innocently, fixing his gaze back to the window as he continued to watch the waitresses carrying round some of the dishes featured on the poster. 

“Funnily enough, it doesn’t work like that. Come on, let’s go.” Takatora was too exhausted and frustrated after the day he had to further explain and turned away, waiting for his brother to join him. “Come on, Mitsuzane.”

His brother really was too old to be acting this way… He would always put on this sweet, innocent act to get what he wants; he knows it will work every time.

The younger man pouted at his brother’s protests, turning to face him. “But Nii-san, look. The cookie dough dessert is on special offer and it’s today only! Please, Nii-san.”

“I’m sure you can find that anywhere. And besides, you know price isn’t an issue. Whatever the price, I’ll pay it, you know that,” Takatora replied slowly, emphasising each point, trying to make it clear to his brother he wouldn’t be getting his way this time.

Mitsuzane took a step closer to his brother. “Please, Nii-san,” he tried talking softer, in an almost whisper, his typical persuading voice. “You work yourself too hard. And then the only way you relax is by sleeping it off before doing the whole thing again the next day.”

Takatora lowered his head to the ground before letting another sigh, today must make a new record, even for him. “Mitsuzane…” he tried to get a word in, in his defence, but his brother was persistent.

“No, Nii-san. You need to treat yourself every once in a while! You of all people deserve it. I know you probably just want to go home tonight, but let’s just go in, you might end up enjoying yourself. I know you love sweet things as much as I do! …Come on, just this once!”

Takatora raised his weary head to meet his brother’s caring grin. “Well,” he began, trying not to reveal the smirk spreading on his face. “They do look delicious,” his expression returned to normal. “But not to-” he was cut off.

Mitsuzane flashed a mischievous grin before grabbing hold of his brother’s arm, catching him off guard, as he dragged him through the café door.

“Oi, Mitsuzane, stop it!” Takatora’s voice grew more and more agitated. “Oi, let go, I said!” he repeated himself, as if Mitsuzane didn’t hear his first commands. All his resistance was merely effort in vain as the two loudly crashed in through the entrance, causing Takatora to freeze, halting his desperate attempts to drag himself and his brother back outside. Some of the other couples seemed disrupted by the scene he was causing in the doorway. He nervously looked around, feeling more pairs of eyes on him than he would have liked.

Seemly not bothered, Mitsuzane continued to walk merrily over to a small, unmanned counter a few feet from the door, stopping at the sign reading ‘please wait here to be seated’.

Takatora stepped boldly up behind his brother, firmly grabbing the back of his neck with a strong hand, causing Mitsuzane to tense his entire body, hopefully then allowing Takatora to drag him out of the café, like a cat with a new born kitten. “Mitsuzane,” he growled into his ear, using the voice he usually reserved for when Sid decides to irresponsibly act on his own or when another of his employees inevitably fucks something up. 

The plan may have worked had it not be for the ill timed appearance of the young waitress behind the counter.

“A table for two?” she asked sweetly, not looking up at the pair till after the question had passed her lips. She titled her head a fraction of a degree to the right, eyeing up the pair with a bewildered look across her face. A furious expression covered the elder man behind, as he held a firm grip on the younger before her, causing him to stand completely ridged. 

Takatora eased his grip to a gentle touch against the skin on his brother’s neck, trying his best to wipe all signs of aggression off his face. Hopefully the assault would make Mitsuzane realise he wasn’t playing around. It was time to leave.

“Yes, please~” Mitsuzane replied to the waitress, flashing a playful smile in her direction.

“…Right this way,” she began to guide the pair over to the nearest free table, not before taking a moment to watch the elder man closely, either in confusion or suspicion.

The moment she turned her back, Takatora attempted to grab at the sleeve of Mitsuzane’s coat, hissing his name as the young man instantly followed her further into the café. “Mitsuzane!” he called out again, a little louder than before but apparently not loud enough, he didn’t want to cause anymore embarrassment than he had already managed to achieve. 

By this time, Mitsuzane was already keenly following close behind the waitress, now passing through the middle of the room, surrounded by the other customers, couples who sipped at drinks and shared their desserts with each other. He had no choice but to quietly follow them in.

\--

The waitress stopped beside a table by the large glass windows. It was similarly decorated to all the others in the café, covered in a pure white tablecloth, a lace pattern worked around the edges, small sequins even sown into some patches. The candles in the centre reflected a yellow glow onto the red napkins and arrangements of cutlery, surrounding two plates placed either side of the round, black table itself.

Mitsuzane quickly jumped into the nearest seat as Takatora came approaching from behind the waitress. He paused to glare at his brother who now sat smugly, gazing outside. Takatora could see his reflection in the window; he looked so pleased with himself.

The waitress moved round to the free chair, brining it out from under the table for Takatora to sit down in.

Once seated, both removed their coats to reveal their work outfits - full suits. Mitsuzane looked far more formal than his brother, opting for a sleek, silk purple tie to stand out against the crisp, white shirt covering his torso. He wore the specially tailored, black trousers and suit jacket that Takatora bought him on officially joining Yggdrasill. Although, there was never any doubt that he wouldn’t. Years of planning had been behind it and his blood ties could over rule any obstacle another employee would had faced.

“Here are the menus,” the waitress reached into the pocket of her apron and brought forth two, small, printed boards. “The first is the drinks menu and this one has our full list of desserts on offer,” she placed them down one by one in the centre of the table.

Mitsuzane picked up both menus, scanning through the choices available, humming to himself while waying up all the options of what to have. 

Since the moment he was seated, Takatora didn’t stop glaring at his brother. With his arms folded tightly, he continued to not be amused by his brother’s antics one bit.

The waitress hesitated for a moment, casting her eyes over to the older man’s obvious anger at being here, before taking out a pink laminated sheet. “Here’s today’s limited edition offer – The Lover’s Special…” She placed it down in the same spot as the others with some uncertainty.

Mitsuzane could see the picture from where he sat, gleefully grabbing the sheet and holding it up to his face, following the large printed words as the waitress recited back to them.

“It’s our café’s very own cookie dough mix, served still warm, with our authentic, homemade ice cream and chocolate sauce. For an extra 500 yen, you can order additional chocolate chips, small brownie pieces and strawberries,” she finished, taking a well needed breather. “I’ll leave you to decide,” she bowed before turning to leave.

“Wait. Could we just order this now?” he pointed to the picture on the pink sheet, red hearts decorated around the edges. “With the extras as well, please,” Mitsuzane added.

“Most certainly,” she replied with a shaky smile, writing down the order on her little notepad. “And what can I get you to drink?” she questioned the pair.

“Um… I’ll just have a small glass of red wine. Nii-san, what do you want to drink?” Mitsuzane held the drinks menu out in front of his brother.

Takatora moved for the first time since being seated. Quickly unfolding his arms, almost jumping out of his seat as his eyes shot up to the waitress.

Similarly, the girl’s eyes looked straight over to Takatora, watching him become increasingly flustered.

“Er… Just the same, thank you,” he stuttered, saying the first thing he could think of. He just wanted to get this over as quickly as possible.

“Coming right up,” the waitress looked at them uneasily before leaving.

“What are you playing at?!” Takatora snaps as soon as she’s out of sight. He was trying his best to keep his voice down, causing his voice to crack slightly. He knows he can never stay angry at his brother for too long and simply results to sinking back into his chair defeatedly. Letting out a long sigh, he cast his eyes over to pick out the waitress that just served them. She was whispering to another worker, slyly pointing over to the pair, both exchanging almost worried looks to each other. Some of the other couples had also begun to send over concerning glances at the pair. Takatora let out a disheartened groan, crossing one leg over the other as he turned his body to face the window partially. Never had he wished he could walk through glass as much as he did now. Two brothers, wearing full suits, sat opposite each other on a candle lit table ordering ‘The Lover’s Special” on a couple’s night... He knew exactly how this looked.

“Relax, Nii-san. We’re here now, so we might as well just enjoy ourselves, right? It’ll be fine,” Mitsuzane tried his best to reassure him but Takatora really was having a day from hell and his brother’s attempts to make it better were doing quite the opposite.

\-- 

It didn’t take long for the drinks to come. Both took small sips, enjoying the deep, rich, fruity flavour the wine brought to their lips, drunk between prolonged silences. Takatora was still sulking.

“So,” Mitsuzane tried to strike up a conversation. “It was tough at work today?” He looked over at his Takatora curiously. He had only joined recently and was stuck doing menial tasks for the time being, so he hadn’t even seen his brother at the company yet. He never really knew what work Takatora actually did. He knew it was important, he was the head after all, and he always came home exhausted and miserable most days.

Takatora closed his eyes, rubbing one of his temples with his hand. “I really don’t want to talk about work,” he groaned. “I’ve had more than enough today.” He took another swig of wine before meeting his brother’s clearly concerned gaze. “It’s alright,” he half smiled. “You’ll still be doing admin work for the time being, you won’t have to deal with the likes of Ryouma just yet.”

“Oh,” he returned a smile to his brother before taking another sip, deciding it best not to ask much more on the subject. “…Say, did father ever have a rule about not discussing work around us? I can never remember hearing him talk about it.” Mitsuzane mused, as he watched the wine swish around his glass.

“That’s because he never talked to us,” Takatora replied. “You especially,” he rested a finger on the outer ring of the glass in front of him.

“Well, I suppose that would explain it,” he sounded saddened.

Takatora couldn’t help but feel a little bad for that last comment. There was no need to be so harsh to his brother, even if it was the truth, but he didn’t want to upset him. He knew Mitsuzane was just trying to make him feel better and he was grateful for that much.

\--

A tray making its way towards their table caught Mitsuzane’s eye. Several moments later, after exchanging a few brief pleasantries with the waiter, the two had their order ready and waiting in front of them. Mitsuzane’s mouth had already started watering; it was hard to resist diving straight into the dish. 

The cookie dough looked so rich and gooey; some parts caving in around the middle where the dessert thinned, while the sides of the large dish crisped up against the walls. It wasn’t really much of a plate, more of a bowl almost that went down roughly 5cm, allowing the cookie dough to have the perfect thickness for plunging the two large spoons provided into. The two could already feel the heat coming off from the dish, the chocolate chips inside the dough already starting to melt, along with the 2 huge spoonfuls of vanilla ice cream and copious amounts of chocolate sauce on top. Paying the extra measly 500 yen, the dessert came with extra chocolate chips sprinkled on top, small brownie chunks dotted around with some looking like they’d merged in with the mixture, as well as strawberries, all cut in two, placed delicately around the edges of the plate; even those had their own dark chocolate sauce drizzled across them artistically.

Both men struggled to control themselves, wanting nothing more than to completely obliterate the dessert in a matter of seconds. Their eyes widened and they continued to be almost stunned by its beauty.

“I don’t even know where to start…” Mitsuzane was the first to speak, spoon already in hand, eyes fixated on the dessert.

Takatora slowly turned the warm plate around, hoping viewing it from different angled would somehow reveal the answer.

“It looks even better than in the pictures,” the younger man continues, licking his lips eagerly.

Setting the plate down and picking up his spoon, Takatora was the first to dig in. Cutting into the soft mixture, the two watched eagerly as he slowly lifted the spoon back out, watching how the dough sat perfectly, half of it falling off in little gooey trails back onto the plate. As he scooped up a small chunk ice cream, it instantly started melting, oozing across the surface of the dough, the rest dripping off the sides back onto the dish.

Following his brother’s example Mitsuzane acted similarly, digging his spoon into the mixture, adding a small scoop of ice cream, along with a mini brownie piece and a strawberry. He opened his mouth wide before the spoon entered. As his eyes widened instantly, he raised a hand to cover his mouth as he chewed excitedly.

“It’s delicious!” Mitsuzane nearly cried out, as he licked the remainders off his spoon. “Try it, Nii-san. It’s ridiculously good!” he motioned with his spoon to his brother’s, waiting for him to taste it before moving in for another mouthful.

Takatora took the spoon into his mouth slowly, wanting to savour the taste. It was so sweet! The ice cream perfectly balanced out the heat from the cookie dough, the vanilla flavour mixing perfectly with the chocolate. “…This is actually pretty good!” he sounded genuinely surprised; it took him a while before he managed to speak. Not wanting to waste another moment, he plunged his spoon back in, feeding himself another mouthful with a smile beaming across his face.

Mitsuzane lit up. He hadn’t seen his brother behaving like since they were kids, most likely. Instantly joining his brother in child like glee, he began to feast upon the dish.

\--

5 minutes later and both were still working their way through the dessert, albeit, at a much slower pace, talking as they ate.

“Do you remember the time we went to Italy, when we were younger?” Takatora asked, watching as his brother continued to munch away on a strawberry before resting his spoon against his bottom lip in thought.

“Yeah, I remember,” he smiled, thinking back to the holiday. He could remember spending hours out in the sun with his brother, walking down all the small alleyways and visiting cute, little shops that sold a whole variety of handmade goods. 

“Doesn’t this ice cream remind you of that?” Takatora dipped his spoon into the remains of the vanilla ice cream, placing it into his mouth before letting the flavour linger on his tongue.

Mitsuzane did the same, popping a blob of ice cream into his mouth, letting it melt on his tongue. “Oh, you’re right, it really does!” the spoon in his hand made a little clink sound as it tapped against his teeth. 

The two continued to reminisce as they finished off both the dessert and their glasses of wine.

“Maybe we should we order another glass?” Mitsuzane suggested. All the laughs shared with his brother had left him thirsty. 

“We probably shouldn’t, we’ve both got work tomorrow,” he glanced down at his watch, “and it’s already getting late… You wait here, I’ll go and pay.”

“Alright,” Mitsuzane sighed.

“Thanks, though, Mitsuzane…” Takatora gave his brother a warm smile as he stood up, putting back on his coat. “I had a nice time tonight.”

“See, I was right!” he replied with a cheeky grin and he could of sworn he heard Takatora let out a cute, little chuckle as he walked to the front counter. 

Mitsuzane turned his attention to the outside. More of the couples had begun to leave now, walking together with their hands entwined. It really had gotten late fast, he thought to himself, it was nearly pitch black outside expect for the few streetlights placed along the roadsides. He tried to figure out if it was snowing or not, but it was impossible to tell. Judging from how the couples huddled together outside, he knew it was at least still just as freezing cold.

“Ready?”

Mitsuzane was too distracted to realise his brother had already returned, stood beside him, waiting to leave. 

“Ah, yeah,” he began to stand, grabbing the coat off the back of his chair, quickly putting it over his suit before they headed for the exit.

\--

As soon as they left the café the cold wind hit them straight in the face, causing their coats to flutter behind them. The two couldn’t even speak; the bitter cold almost knocked the breath right out of them.

They lingered in the doorway of the café, but only momentarily, as Takatora began to do up the buttons of his coat. Another couple walked past the pair, heading a different way to them. Mitsuzane watched as they walked away, the girl reaching out to the grasp the boy’s hand in her own before huddling together.

“All done,” Takatora announced, coat completely done up. “Ready to go?”

Mitsuzane nodded with a smile and the two began their short walk home. It only took a few seconds for Mitsuzane to reach out for his brother’s hand, holding it tentatively in his own. 

“Hey, this isn’t a date, you know?” Takatora laughed, but still, he didn’t let go.


End file.
